


A History of Monsters

by Artemis_Day



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: (as does Jane and eventually Bucky), Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, BAMF Bucky Barnes, BAMF Jane Foster, BAMF Steve Rogers, But we love him for it, Darcy Lewis Is a Good Bro, F/M, Flashbacks, Humor, Jane Foster & Darcy Lewis Friendship, Jane Foster Loves Science, Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, Loki fucks shit up, Protective Bucky Barnes, Semi-Crack, Vampire Jane Foster, Werewolf Bucky Barnes, Werewolf Steve Rogers, Witch Darcy Lewis, Witches, birthday fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:34:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23829184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis_Day/pseuds/Artemis_Day
Summary: There's no such thing as normal when you're a witch working for a vampire and dating a werewolf while living with superheroes. There just isn't.
Relationships: Darcy Lewis/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Jane Foster, James "Bucky" Barnes/Jane Foster/Loki, Jane Foster/Loki
Comments: 11
Kudos: 114





	A History of Monsters

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Joey99](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joey99/gifts).



> This is a birthday fic for the lovely pegasusdragontiger. It is a direct continuation of my last birthday fic for her, which you can read here: /works/22071661/chapters/53872324
> 
> For those of you who have read it and need a refresher: Darcy is a witch, Jane is a vampire, and Bucky and Steve are newly transformed into werewolves. Those are the most important details to remember.
> 
> Thank you very much and I hope you all enjoy!

It was an average day in the forest on the outskirts of Avengers HQ. Average as in no villains were invading (yet), nothing had exploded in Tony or Bruce's labs (yet), and the resident witch and vampire were hanging out in a small clearing surrounded by trees waiting for the resident werewolves to return from their hunt.

The full moon shined like a 24 karat diamond. Or maybe the diamond shined like the moon. Darcy would have to think about it. For now, she had a potion to complete and several pages of her own chicken scratch to decipher. Whoever said people always understood their own handwriting deserved to be dragged in the street and beaten.

"Does this look like a q to you?" Darcy held the notebook in Jane's face.

"Why would you put a q in calendula?" she asked.

"I don't know what I do when I'm drinking." Darcy scribbled the word out. It probably wasn't important anyway. "I really need to start typing my notes."

"You need to start taking notes while sober."

"Yeah, that too."

Conversation died there. Not for lack of a topic, just the general anticipation both women felt as the night wore on. Jane seemed content to wait it out even as sunrise crept closer and the sky began to lighten. She had sunblock ready and sunglasses perched atop her head. In the meantime, she read a book by starlight. Her vampiric vision could light up even the darkest room.

At a quarter to six, Darcy gave up on her notes and spent the next few minutes playing Toy Blast on her phone. She was just about to beat the last level when she felt the earth rumble under her feet. Her skin prickled. A rabbit sniffing some grass by a rock sped away. It knew exactly what was coming. It knew fear. All the animals did. Jane and Darcy could not relate.

"About time," Jane purred, licking her fangs as a pair of shadows emerged from the forest.

Yellow eyes like pinpricks stared at them. As they got closer, the shapes grew to massive heights, eight feet tall each. Though they stood upright like men, their bodies were distinctly dog-like with snouts, pointed ears, and swishing tails. The one on the right had yellow fur splattered with mud. If his partner was also dirty, his jet black fur made it hard to tell.

Jane's fangs extended. "Did you have a good night?"

The black wolf's snout flared as he stepped into the shadows of a maple tree. Shielded from the moonlight, his body contorted and shrunk. Fur receded into his skin. His limbs, both flesh and metal, straightened and shrunk as his claws turned to fingernails. Before Jane stood not a wolf, but a tall, handsome, and rather underdressed man.

"It was great," Bucky said, sweeping her into his arms. "Haven't had a run like that in years."

"We caught some deer," Steve said as he reverted back to human form and accepted a robe from Darcy.

"Oooh, venison burgers. Yum." Darcy bounced on the balls of her feet. "Does deer blood taste like anything, Jane?"

"It's not bad," she said, staring into Bucky's still golden eyes, "but I prefer a sweeter kind of blood."

With a growl, Bucky dragged her through the trees back to the base. Her laughter carried in the wind and soon vanished. Steve and Darcy looked at each other.

"Okay," Darcy said. "We won't be seeing them for a few days."

Steve chuckled, engulfing her tiny hand with his massive one. "Could be worse. Remember the first time Buck and I transformed?"

******

**THREE MONTHS EARLIER**

Jane and Darcy waited in a different part of the woods for their new boyfriends to return. Since it was their first time, it might take them a bit longer to find their way back and restore themselves to human form. Mistakes had happened in the past, or so Darcy had read. There were some interesting testimonies online.

"This guy had a tail for three days after his first time." Darcy pointed at the picture on her phone. "And this guy kept sprouting fur in random places."

"Anything about claws or sharp teeth forming in the middle of sex?" Jane asked.

Darcy blinked. "No… why?"

"Just wondering."

Darcy backed slowly away. "Okay well, it also says there might be some mental effects. It's not specifying, though, so I'm not sure what that means."

"I'm sure it's nothing major," Jane shrugged.

Five minutes later, Steve and Bucky returned, already mid-transformation. They didn't seem to be having any problems shaking off their lycan traits. If Darcy had to guess, their enhancements had a hand in easing the transition.

"Hey guys," she waved, "how'd it go?"

Bucky's eyes, rather than returning to blue, became deep gold as he threw Jane over his shoulder and carried her off without a word. Darcy stared after him, her hand frozen mid-wave. Before she could think to ask, Steve had her against a tree.

"I'm sorry," he growled, eyes just as gold as Bucky's. "Can't help it."

He kissed her like his life depended on it, forcing his tongue in her mouth as he ripped the entire top layer of her clothes off and commenced reducing Darcy to a moaning, quivering mess.

**

"Oh yeah, I do remember that," Darcy snuggled up to his side, allowing him to put an arm around her. "But I think your definition of 'worse' is a little different than mine."

Steve hung his head. "I wanted our first time to be special."

"My first time was against a tree with a werewolf who is also Captain America," Darcy grinned. "You don't get much more special than that."

Though he still appeared morose, Darcy caught the reverberation of his chest. His grip on her tightened. "Well, if nothing else, I'm glad to have this over with for the month. Not that I don't like transforming, but I'd rather have some kind of say in it."

"I'll look into some spells," Darcy said, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. "I have a feeling it's going to be a slow week around here."

**

HYDRA was attacking Avengers HQ.

While the alarms blared and Tony, Clint, and Natasha took care of the guys on the front lawn, Darcy faced down a group of five who had cornered her in the break room.

"Wow, you guys look tough," she said, taking in their body armor and enormous guns. Rolling her shoulders, she assumed a fighting stance which she definitely didn't take from an episode of Dragonball Z. "Okay fuckers, listen up. I am a dangerous sorceress capable of harnessing the ancient forces of the universe to whoop your sorry asses into next week. One wrong move and you all get turned into centipedes. You punks ready to be centipedes?"

The men all looked at each other. Two of them were laughing. They'd be first.

"How about you sit on the couch with your hands up," one of the HYDRA guys said, aiming at her head.

"I don't think so!" Darcy charged her magic. "Take this!"

A beam of light sailed over their heads. It hit one of Pepper's decorative throw pillows, turning it into a pineapple. The HYDRA guys stared at it. The leader raised an eyebrow at Darcy. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, I haven't actually learned any offensive spells yet," she said sheepishly. "I'm a great distraction, though."

Steve crashed through the ceiling, shield and claws out, and had decimated the entire squad in the time it took Darcy to get out her phone and take a selfie.

Meanwhile, Bucky was in the kitchen when an entire battalion of HYDRA soldiers surrounded him. Fifty guns were pointed at his head. The man in the center of the mob was someone he used to see every time they pulled him out of the ice. He smiled like a cat with a mouse caught in his paw.

"Good afternoon… Soldat."

Bucky lowered his bagel. After a moment, he let out the longest sigh of his life. "Yup…"

Ten seconds later, the battalion was running for their lives and screaming like little girls as an enormous black wolf chased them down the hall.

In the basement, Brock Rumlow and Jack Rollins had just broken into Jane's lab. It appeared to be empty, and full of all sorts of important science-y stuff, or so they'd been told.

"Fuck, it's cold down here," Rollins said, his teeth chattering. "How does she live like this?"

"Who cares? Let's just get what we need and go," Rumlow said.

"She could be hiding somewhere down here."

"And? She's just a scientist. What could she possibly do?"

The door slammed shut and locked behind them. As the men whirled around, guns drawn, Jane appeared out of the shadows. "Hello, can I help you?"

Rumlow cocked his gun. "You can tell us where your files are and then get down on the floor."

"Unless you'd rather get shot," Rollins added.

Jane blinked. "You want my research?"

"Our bosses want it, and we aren't paid to ask questions," Rumlow thumbed the trigger. "So do as we say and you won't get hurt."

They advanced on her. Jane glanced back and forth between them, lips pursed. "Hmm… no."

She disappeared before their eyes. They blinked stupidly as the lights flickered. One by one, each bulb burst. Shadows crawled along the walls, blotting out the windows, plunging the lab into a darkness deeper than the blackest hole.

"What the hell?" Rumlow turned on his light, but it barely penetrated the shadows. "What the hell is this?"

"Do you see her?" Rollins demanded.

"I can't see _anything."_ An inky tendril snapped at Rumlow's chest and he fired reflexively. The bullet pierced the darkness, but he couldn't hear what it hit. "Jesus Christ, how is she doing this?"

Jane's face appeared, grinning with hundreds of hellish fangs. "Fuck you, that's how."

Rollins fired. The bullet hit Jane between the eyes. They turned red as the bullet hole closed.

"Ow." She slipped fully out of the shadows, floating a foot off the ground. "All right, gentlemen. _Let's talk."_

**

The battle was winding down when a wave of green magic washed over the building. Instantly, all HYDRA agents were rounded up and tied together with thick rope winding around them like snakes.

Two men walked up the entryway. One in casual jeans and a gray jacket, the other in a fitted suit. The latter raised a hand, levitating the tangle of agents out of the building and onto the lawn.

"Not the greeting I expected, but I can't say I'm disappointed," Loki said.

Thor laughed. "I am. I would've liked to join the fight!"

"I am weeping for you, brother. Truly."

The Avengers, no worse for the wear after a lengthy battle, gathered outside. With HYDRA taken care of, there was now seemingly a new threat to face.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Tony demanded, pointing at Loki.

"Friends!" Thor boomed like nothing was wrong. "I'm so glad to see you all again. Loki and I have had quite the adventure since we were last together. We have settled all our differences and Loki has reformed from his old ways."

"I thought he died," said Bruce.

"Yes, I do that sometimes," Loki mused. "It never does seem to last, does it?"

"You can't possibly expect us to believe he's good now," Natasha said, glaring at the pair.

Loki shrugged. "Good is a broad concept, is it not?"

"All right, let's just get these guys taken care of," Tony waved at the semi-conscious and groaning HYDRA agents. "We can worry about Loki later. Now, did we get everyone?"

"Almost!" Jane approached the group, rubbing an extra layer of sunscreen on her neck. "I kept these two a little longer. They were interested in my research and, well, you know how I can get going."

Rumlow and Rollins tore out the door, their clothes ripped and their skin singed with char marks. They huddled at Steve's feet, their faces white and ashy.

"Please arrest us," Rumlow begged, curling into a ball. "Lock us in a cage and never let us out. _Just don't leave us alone with her again!"_

Rollins might've agreed, but he was too busy sobbing uncontrollably. Jane grinned at them and they both screamed.

"Ooookay," Tony touched down on the ground, his helmet retracting. "Maybe we should go inside."

As the fallen mooks were corralled off to holding cells, the Avengers and company retreated to their slightly banged up base of operations. Jane waited by the door for everyone to file in. Thor was one of the last. When their eyes met, he immediately looked away.

"Hello, Jane," he said stiffly.

"Hey, Thor," she coughed.

He almost successfully smiled before rushing into the dining area and yelling for someone to bring him a drink.

"Say, whatever happened with you guys?" Darcy asked, sidling up to Jane. "You never told me."

Jane sucked in a breath.

**

"ODIN'S EYE!" Thor flew into the wall, hands on his scratched throat. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm sorry!" Jane covered her mouth to hide her fangs. "I swear, this doesn't usually happen. You're just a really good kisser and I guess I got a little carried away."

"You have fangs!"

"Yeah, I was going to talk to you about that. I would've done it sooner, but with all that Malekith business it kind of slipped my mind."

_"Why do you have fangs?"_

"Oh, do you not have vampires on Asgard? It's okay, I can explain everything. Let me just go and drink some blood and then I'll-"

_"YOU DRINK BLOOD?"_

"Well, of course! Why else would I have a freezer full of it?"

**

"...we had a conflict of interests."

Since Darcy knew better than to pry, she decided to leave it at that.

The dining room quickly filled up. Battling evil and keeping enemy agents from digging through your sock drawer was hungry work. With a couple of Asgardians and weresupersoldiers to feed, the in-house chefs had their work cut out for them. Thankfully, Tony always paid overtime. Darcy was considering pizza toppings when Steve sat next to her.

"Missed you," he said, kissing her cheek.

Darcy squeaked and swatted at him. "I just saw you twenty minutes ago, you big goof."

"Twenty whole minutes? God, it feels like forever."

Their table sat five. Bucky and Jane arrived with a plate full of food and a blood pack respectively. Conversation was scarce as the four enjoyed their meals and tried to de-stress from the hectic morning.

"Someone's going to have to fix that," Darcy said, pointing at a bullet-ridden wall on the southside. "Also they really need to take pineapple pizza off the menu. This is New York. People here know better than that."

Everyone mumbled in agreement. A long shadow stretched over them.

"Well, now, I might wish to try this pineapple pizza sometime," Loki grinned. "It sounds most intriguing."

"You would say that," Darcy snapped. "Who invited you anyway?"

"I wasn't aware I needed an invitation." He took the last empty seat next to Jane. On her other side, Bucky growled, teeth bared. It had no effect on Loki, who didn't even seem to notice the direct and immediate threat to his life. Instead, he was looking at Jane. "Good evening, Jane."

And weirdly enough, she was looking right back! "Hey, Loki. Good to see you again."

"It's been far too long."

"Yes, it has."

"Though I see you've kept busy in my absence."

"I always do."

They smiled at each other, eyes lidded. Jane's were rapidly shifting to red as she licked her lips. The first one to figure it out was Bucky, whose jaw went right to the floor.

"What the fuck?" he shouted. "You- and you… WHAT?"

"Wait a minute," Darcy gasped. "Did you fuck Loki?"

Jane hummed, which could've meant a lot of things but decidedly meant only one thing right now.

"When did that happen?" Steve asked.

"It's kind of a long story," Jane said, as Loki scooted his chair closer to her. "But the short version is…"

**

Even after they broke up, Thor was happy to let Jane visit Asgard as much as she wanted. He'd more or less come to terms with her… unique dietary requirements and they had settled into a comfortable friendship which was probably better for them in the long run anyway. Like a good friend, Thor swore to keep her secret. Not a word of her true nature would ever pass his lips.

That didn't stop the servants and courtiers from walking faster when she was nearby or going out of their way not to make eye contact with her. It was fine. Vampires just had that way about them. She'd long since gotten over humans being creeped out by her. What were a few Asgardians?

She was bored one evening and went looking for the library. Somehow, she'd never gotten a chance to visit before now. The observatory was pretty time consuming, and Thor was trying his best to introduce her to his father. The old king dodged him at every turn. Something urgent always came up. How many trade meetings did a king have to attend in one week?

As she walked down the hall, the sweet scent of blood hit her nose. It came from the east wing. Jane followed it without a thought. The delicious smell grew stronger every second. She took a long whiff as her fangs appeared. The elongated canines always managed to sit comfortably between her lips no matter how big they got.

She turned a few corners until she was standing before a bolted door. The lock gave easily with a little finagling and some handy magic. Jane found herself in the king's chambers, and a shirtless Loki was standing by the fire.

Jane looked at Loki.

Loki looked at Jane.

He smiled. "I see you've discovered my little secret, Jane Foster." He had a cloth in his hand. It appeared he'd cut his finger. "Whatever am I going to do with you?"

"Your blood smells delicious," Jane croaked.

Loki started. "Excuse me?"

Despite his greater height and likely greater strength, Jane slammed him against the wall and plunged her fangs into his neck. He gasped, going completely rigid for a moment before his muscles slackened. Jane swallowed a few mouthfuls of his warm, gushing blood. As always, she was careful not to take too much. What she had was more than enough anyway.

God, he was strong. Barely a mouthful and she felt like she could rip a car in half.

Jane kept looking at Loki.

Loki kept looking at Jane.

The next thing Jane knew, she was on the bed and under him, her clothes gone as he rubbed his incredible arousal over her core. The next few days were a bit of a blur.

**

"...so yeah, turns out we have a lot in common," Jane said.

Everyone had a different reaction to her story. Steve was staring at his menu red in the face. Darcy was silently performing an invisibility spell on herself. Bucky's eyes had joined his jaw on the floor. Loki examined his nails.

"You have got to be kidding me," Bucky hissed. "You had sex with this guy- and you never even told me?"

Jane had the decency to look ashamed. "I was going to, but we hadn't really gotten to a place in our relationship to discuss past lovers. I still don't know who else you've been with."

"That is completely different and you know it!"

"Hmm, indeed this is a spectacle," Loki remarked.

"Shut the fuck up, asshole," Bucky seethed as his claws formed. "No one asked you to be here."

"My, my, you are quite the Alpha wolf," Loki said. "I'm happy to see Jane found such a fine strapping man as yourself."

"Don't you flirt with me!"

"Oh what? Do you not find me appealing?"

"I-" Bucky tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. His reddening cheeks didn't help matters. "Shut up…"

Jane cuddled up to him as she and Loki winked at each other.

"Well, there will be time to discuss it later." Loki waved and a glass appeared before Jane. "B positive, my dear?"

"Ooh, my favorite." Jane sipped happily as Loki conjured a tankard of beer in front of Bucky.

"Oh, fuck no. I'm not drinking that." Bucky shoved it away. "It's probably poisoned!"

"I would do no such thing," Loki said, his smile a tiny bit evil. "I merely thought that given your superior metabolism, it had been some time since you had a proper drink. Was I wrong?"

Bucky's anger cracked. He stared at the tankard for a long time, then he grabbed it. "You win this time."

Loki's smile became a grin as Bucky drank. "Ah, what a wonderful day this is. I'm honored to spend it with such fine folks as yourselves."

"Yeah, we're thrilled, too," Steve mumbled, gazing longingly at Bucky's drink.

"And it's been far too long since I had the pleasure of meeting a werewolf," Loki continued. "I believe the last time was… yes, it was quite a few centuries ago. I happened to be on Midgard for a visit. My dearest companion at the time did so love this realm and her people."

**

"Fenrir, please, we have to be home before dinner or else Mother will be cross with us." Loki tapped his foot as he beckoned the large wolf over. "Come along now. You can play with your new friend next time."

"Oh God, it's eating my arm!" The human screamed as Fenrir gnawed on his bleeding elbow. _"It's eating me!"_

"Not to worry, good sir, Fenrir knows not to get too rough with his playmates." Loki whistled, and the wolf's ears perked up. He let go of the man and trotted back to his master. "There, you see? No harm done."

"Oh God, why? _Why?"_

Before Loki could ask which god the mortal was referring to, the blood was sucked back into his arm and the wound closed itself. Not even a scar was left behind. It was as if it had never been there at all.

"Hmm… I didn't expect that," Loki said, rubbing his chin, "but you can rest easy now, mortal. I'm sure there will be no long-term effects from this encounter. Now, do cheer up. It's a beautiful night and tomorrow is the full moon!"

**

Loki held a drink to his lips, deep in thought. "Looking back, I might've been wrong about there being no effect."

Everyone was staring at him, wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

"You're shitting me," Steve said.

"I would never," Loki declared. "My reputation aside, I am being entirely truthful. It wasn't my first trip to Midgard either. Once I spent an entire month guiding a group of explorers across the Arctic. They were quite an interesting bunch. In fact…"

**

"Lord Loki, you have my thanks. You have been an invaluable asset to us during our expedition," the head explorer said.

Though he was of short stature and lacked the sheer mass of his more burly friends, his mind had power greater than perhaps even Asgard had ever known. He knew the name of every creature they came across, how to tame them. He protected them from every fungus with his medical knowledge. He even fashioned them a tent out of wolfskin.

"I am happy to be of assistance, John," Loki said. "I will be sorry to say goodbye to you. A mind like yours only comes once a generation."

"That is what I wished to discuss with you." John sat in his armchair, the firelight illuminated his delicate, almost feminine features. "There are a great many things I want to do with my life. Things which, I fear, I will not have enough time to accomplish. Therefore it is my wish to become as you are."

Loki stared at him. "As _I_ am?"

"Yes, sir. My friends are all in agreement. We are men of science, and for the betterment of mankind, we would become immortal in order to aid in the progression of Earth's understanding of the universe."

"I am not immortal, my friend. I live and die as we all must someday."

"But it will take you a great deal longer." John smiled knowingly.

What an interesting turn of events this was. "The simplest way would be an apple from Idunn's garden. Unfortunately, her domain has been sealed for centuries. Not even I can break through the barrier."

"There must be another way."

"Hmmm…" Loki's brow furrowed. "There is a spell I read about long ago. Ancient, forbidden magic. You may very well die in the process."

"I am willing to pay whatever price I must," John said. He was on his feet, fists balled and eyes like stone.

Loki laughed. "Jonathan Foster, you are truly a man among men. I just hope you and your friends aren't afraid of blood."

**

Everyone stared at Loki. Even wider-eyed and more open-mouthed.

"You've met my dad?" Jane asked rather excitedly. "You never told me that."

"I'm surprised he didn't mention it," Loki said. "How is old John these days?"

"He's good. Living in Des Moines for the last few years," Jane said. "Now that I think about it, I need to call him later. I'll tell him you said hi."

"I would greatly appreciate that."

"Okay wow," Darcy pulled at her hair. "Are there any more plot-twisty stories from your past that we should know about?"

Loki rubbed his chin. "Well, I don't recall a single instance that stands out, but I did have quite a few encounters of the more… shall we say carnal variety?"

**

"Oooh Loki," the mortal woman ripped her bodice open, allowing Loki to bury his face between her ample bosom. "Show me more of that magic of yours."

"I will show you a great many things tonight… my dear." He really should have asked for her name before they took to her chambers.

"My father would never allow me to see a man like this," she gasped. "And a man like you, he'd have drawn and quartered."

"I'd like to see him try." Loki flipped her over with ease. She squealed.

"I wish I could have power like yours," she said as he went after her neck. "To have the power to go anywhere, be anything, to be special."

"What I do is hardly unique where I'm from," he murmured in her ear. "If you were to bear my child, you would see it for yourself."

**

Everyone stared at Loki. As wide-eyed and open-mouthed as humanly possible.

"Admittedly it happened so often during your medieval times, I might not be remembering it exactly right," Loki muttered, more to himself than to them. "I was as present as I could've been in their lives. It's extraordinary the magic my descendants have developed over the years. I believe you are a thirtieth generation witch yourself, are you not, Darcy?"

Somehow, Darcy managed to roll her jaw back up long enough to nod and mumble something that sounded vaguely like, "Yes."

Loki smirked. "Well, I am very proud of you."

He went back to his drink like the last few minutes amounted to little more than a conversation about the weather. Bucky was bent over the table, unable to sit upright as he processed.

 _"You_ created werewolves," he said.

Loki swallowed a sip of mead. "Yes, I suppose you could say that."

"And _you_ created vampires."

"You could say that as well."

"And _you_ _…"_ He couldn't say it. Just waved in Darcy's face.

Loki chuckled. "I'm glad it's all clear to you, James. You are as astute as you are handsome."

After a moment's pause, Bucky slammed his hands on the table, cracking it. "Okay, I'm done. That's enough for one day. I'm going to bed."

Jane was already up and following him. "Save room for me!"

Loki banished their abandoned mugs into the ether, leaving behind a squeaky clean tabletop. "And me…"

When they were gone, Steve and Darcy were alone surrounded by a crowd. It was impossible to say whether or not anyone else had heard Loki's stories. It was equally impossible to know for sure that he wasn't just bullshitting them the whole time. Probably best not to think too hard about it.

"That was… different," Darcy said.

"Yeah," said Steve. "Real different."

They stared at random points on the wall until Darcy's stomach cried out. Its agonized pleas for attention reminded her that they'd never actually ordered anything.

"Goddamn Loki," she muttered.

Steve grinned. "Is that any way to talk about your great-great-great-great-great… well, you know what I mean."

Darcy scoffed. "You know what? I don't even give a shit." She pushed out her chair. "Let's go into town tonight. I'm up for some Mexican."

She moved so fast to the exit, Steve almost had to run to catch up to her. When he did, he swept her into his arms. "Well, I do love carrying you home full of quesadillas and Dos Equis. How about we get a headstart?"

"You think you're so charming," Darcy said.

But for all her posturing, she still relaxed in his arms as they headed out the door. It was a beautiful evening for a stroll through the forest. The sun had long since set and the moon was rising...


End file.
